Can tick borne illnesses(i.e.lyme disease etc) cause disability?

Yes: Lyme disease & other tick-borne infections like babesiosis & bartonella can cause severe chronic disability. Fortunately, most people with these illnesses won't have significant disability, but those with severe infections (who often have genetic conditions that make it difficult to fight these infections) can become severely disabled from these illnesses, esp. If they have lyme + other infections.

Lyme disease: Approximately 10 to 20% of patients treated for lyme disease with a recommended 2–4 week course of antibiotics will have lingering symptoms of fatigue, pain, or joint and muscle aches. This condition is properly known as "post-treatment lyme disease syndrome" (ptlds). http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/postlds/index.html.

Depends: Tick bite cancan be mild but if nevous system invoved might be lingering process sometime long term tetracck=line is needed and good diet and supportivetreatment can give real good recvery.